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Coal and Peat: Global Resources and Future Supply

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Fossil Energy

Abstract

Coal is the second most important fuel currently used by mankind, accounting for over 25% of the world’s primary energy supply. It provides 41% of global electricity supplies and is a vital fuel or production input for the steel, cement, and chemical industries. However, coal is a fossil fuel formed from organic material by geological processes over millions of years. Hence, coal is a finite resource in terms of human timescales and its continued availability is important to the world economy.

This chapter was originally published as part of the Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology edited by Robert A. Meyers. DOI:10.1007/978-1-4419-0851-3

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Abbreviations

Anthracite:

Anthracite is the highest rank of coal because it has undergone the greatest degree of metamorphosis away from peat. It features low volatile matter (<10%) and high carbon, giving it the highest energy content of all coals. Semi-anthracite is somewhere in the middle between low volatile bituminous coal and anthracite.

Ash:

Inorganic residues remaining after combustion. It has less than the initial mineral matter content because of chemical changes during combustion, i.e., the loss of water, carbon dioxide, and sulfurous compounds.

Bituminous coal:

Bituminous coal lies between subbituminous coal and semi-anthracite in terms of rank. This rank of coal is commonly divided into additional subgroups dependent upon the content of volatile material.

Calorific value:

Corresponds to the amount of heat per unit mass when combusted. Can be expressed as gross calorific value, which is the amount of heat liberated during combustion under standardized conditions at constant volume so that all of the water in the products remains in liquid form, or as net calorific value, which is the maximum achievable heat release obtainable in a furnace at constant pressure.

Carboniferous:

A geologic period and system that extends from 360 to 300 million years ago.

Coal preparation:

Physical and mechanical processes often applied to coal to make it suitable for a particular use.

Coalification:

The process that transforms vegetation to peat succeeded by the transformation of peat to lignite and later higher coal ranks.

Cretaceous:

A geologic period and system spanning from 145 to 66 million years ago.

Devonian:

A geologic period and system spanning from 416 to 360 million years ago.

Exploration:

The examination of an area by means of surface geological mapping, seismic techniques, geophysical methods, drilling of boreholes and sampling of the underlying sediments and rocks.

Jurassic:

A geologic period and system extending from 200 to 145 million years ago.

Macerals:

Microscopic organic constituents of coal that may differ significantly in composition and properties depending on rank and geology.

Ordovician:

A geologic period and system spanning from 490 to 445 million years ago.

Permian:

A geologic period and system extending from 300 to 250 million years ago.

Reserves:

The recoverable volumes that are dependent on certain arbitrary limits in respect of thickness, depth, quality, economics, legal restrictions, and other factors. Reserves are always less than resources.

Resources:

The amount of coal in place before exploitation; all resources may or may not be economically or technically recoverable; see Reserves.

Silurian:

A geologic period and system spanning from 445 to 416 million years ago.

Stripping ratio:

The ratio of the thickness of overburden to that of the total workable coal section.

Tertiary:

A geologic period and system extending from 66 to 2.6 million years ago.

Triassic:

A geologic period and system spanning from 250 to 200 million years ago.

Volatile matter:

Non-moisture component of coal that is liberated at high temperature in the absence of air.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Global Energy Systems, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

    Mikael Höök

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  1. Chemistry & Chemical Engineering Lab., SRI International, Menlo Park, USA

    Ripudaman Malhotra

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Höök, M. (2013). Coal and Peat: Global Resources and Future Supply. In: Malhotra, R. (eds) Fossil Energy. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5722-0_9

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